I guess it’s time to say something about me… I live in Fairbanks, Alaska, and love it even at 50 below (zero, that is). Well, not always! but most of the time. I am oh-so-single, and lovin’ it, after a protracted breakup with the last BF. My constant companion (except when it’s too nice outside and he refuses to come in!) is Gizmo, a huge black Lab. Gizzy’s six years old, but he’s still a puppy at heart, and never refuses the call of anything that is thrown, though he has learned not to chase sticks into the bonfire. I, on the other hand, have learned to toss things onto the bonfire only if he’s tied up. Whew, that was a scary few moments!
Gizmo the wonder dog
I have been sewing since I was… 9 or 10 at least. I can remember making doll clothes for my Barbies and trolls at that age. I must have started embroidering about the same time too, as by the time I was in high school, my stitching was fairly neat. I am mainly a crazy quilter, an avid hat maker, and a sporadic tailor. I love teaching crazy quilt classes in Fairbanks and wish I had more opportunities to teach.
Work… yes, we all work! I am employed at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, as a web designer. I am not a geek… I don’t have a computer science or engineering degree. My BS is in agriculture, specifically “Plant Science, Viticulture Option”, from UC Davis. You don’t need to know when I got it, but it was quite awhile after high school. One of those late bloomers, ya know?
I’ve done a lot of different things, from running racehorses (Quarterhorses, at tracks in AZ, CA, CO, MT, and NM) to fisheries technician. Oooh, that was a fun job! I collected fish from the intertidal zone in Prince William Sound, AK, in 1990 and 1991, for a research project that wanted to determine the impact of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on intertidal fish. Paid beachcombing! And after work, we could hike, pick berries, fish, sightsee, and just generally enjoy being out in the back of beyond.
I’ve also spent quite a bit of time playing secretary (or more politically correct, as an “Administrative Assistant”), collected data on various species of crop plants for different seed companies, sold fabric and notions at Cherry Tree Fabrics, salesclerk at the Prudhoe Bay General Store (yes, on the Slope, in Prudhoe), maintenance personnel at Toolik Lake Research Station (up on the Slope, but real close to the mountains), and I even worked at Pizza Hut, for about three weeks. Ew, I was glad that job didn’t last long!
I love to hunt and fish, and am looking for a .22 so I can bird hunt with Gizmo. The ex-BF took him a few times and says he is a great bird retriever. And there’s lots of grouse on the pipeline, where Giz & I hike on a regular basis. Moose hunting is my favorite fall activity. I love the whole shebang, from packing the boat to taping up the last piece of wrapped meat and putting it in the freezer. I’ve gone dipnetting at Chitina several times, and while the drive back & forth isn’t so fun, I love coming home with all that salmon! Packing it up and canning it or putting it in the freezer is a really comfortable feeling.
8 responses so far ↓
Maria Peagler // December 19, 2006 at 2:44 am
Edie -
Thanks for visiting my website and blog. Currently I have seven color lessons and am disappointed I could only find three. If you go to my archives page you can see all of them, or you can search from my main blog page for “Color Lesson.” So far iWeb doesn’t have a way to categorize my blog entries, so I have to work around that. I’m impressed with your blog - lots of content and well-organized.
http://www.mariapeagler.com
Ann // April 15, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Love your blog and website! Just discovered it through your link on the Creativity Portal’s newsletter. “Sporadic Packrat”–that’s what drew me in. (It made me think of myself, actually!) AND the mention of crazy quilting–wow–I’ve just recently begun to delve into the craziness of fabric and stitches. What fun! Keep on creatin’ and posting pics of your stuff! Cheers!
Michele // June 22, 2007 at 10:02 pm
Hey, Edie:
Great website! (followed your link from the hand embroidery group online). BTW–I took a class in January 07 with Jan Kerton, of Australia (see current issue of Inspirations) in wool stumpwork. I love it! I saw that you have a link to Jane Nicholas’ stumpwork–evidently she’s so revered in the stumpwork “world” that Jan referred to her as “Saint Jane!”
Behave yourself (at least sometimes!) and keep stitching!
Michele and my joyfulneedle
Colette // August 13, 2007 at 11:49 am
Hey-just showing you off to my workmates!! Charge nurse likes the way your website is set up. Told her I could “hook” her up one day if she needed a website or even wanted to blog!!
Love ya!
Jill-O // January 14, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Hi, from Michigan. Enjoying your website. I found your Sporadic Packrat Blog when trying to search the internet for a Kuspuk pattern. Ever since my Sister-in-law wore one at our family Christmas, I have been trying to duplicate it. My biggest problem is trying to figure out the hood. Sister doesn’t sew, she had someone make it for her, so she is of no help. Brother and Sister-in-law live in Barrow.
cowgirl53 // January 15, 2008 at 3:36 am
I might be able to find a kuspuk pattern for you. Are you making a summer kuspuk or a winter one? There is a local woman who has made several Eskimo patterns. Actually the original pattern maker has passed away and her daughter took over the business. But the patterns have been around forever. I’m not sure she did a kuspuk pattern; I might be getting that mixed up with her parka pattern, which is somewhat similar.
I have several projects that are almost ready to post.
You could always use a sweatshirt hood pattern; I think that would work.
Thanks for commenting on the blog! I haven’t been posting much lately; need to get on it
cowgirl53 // January 15, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Aha! I did find the kuspuk pattern! It’s by Lois Tapp; I think you can get one at Material Girls in Fairbanks, AK - there’s a link in my sidebar, under “Check These Out”. They don’t do online orders yet, but I’m sure you could email them and see about getting the pattern.
Jose Guardina // June 17, 2008 at 6:48 pm
50 below! How can you love anything at 50 below? I think the coldest I’ve been in in the East is maybe 20 below. And that was really not at all manageable. I give you big kudos for living like that. I guess it’s great that you have the Internet.
you get used to it. and you wear a LOT of clothes! long underwear, jeans, Sorels (boots) w/two pair of socks, undershirt and tee shirt/long sleeved shirt, polar fleece pullover, and a pair of Carhartt bibs and a jacket over all that. Winter temps hover close to zero, so I’m used to it, and colder temps aren’t that big a deal. If a cold snap hangs on for awhile, then you get tired of it, but just a day or two is no problem. You guys back east aren’t prepared for it, because that kind of weather is unusual, so it feels worse than it really is. Up in Deadhorse, and the Prudhoe Bay oil field, it’s much colder, and the wind blows most of the time. So Fairbanks is mild in comparison
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